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Tuesday

Wicked Descendants

After my private discussion with Chiriann about her Descendants dolls, and after viewing the ones she had, I went browsing.  This gave me a chance to look at all the different releases and eventually I found two which really appealed to me . . .  I think these were dolls from the first release in July 2015. However, the prices now asked for these 11 inch vinyl/plastic dolls was incredulous!!

Meet Mal (left) Isle of the Lost, the wickedly lovely daughter of Maleficent and a beautiful addition to your modern-day Disney adventures. Unlike her mother, the darkest villain of all, Mal chooses good above all else. She comes with an outfit for the Coronation Ball and fashionable accessories fit for a Queen, including a tiara and matching shoes.


Meet Evie (right) Isle of the Lost, the enchantingly beautiful daughter of the Evil Queen and a beautiful addition to your modern-day Disney adventures. She may have villainous roots, but that doesn’t mean her fate is sealed! She comes with an outfit for the Coronation Ball and fashionable accessories fit for a princess, including matching shoes and crown-shaped earrings.

It appears these dolls were released in "waves" and several variations of the same dolls appeared over the following years. These were simply outfit changes as far as I can tell from photos. Below are the Disney Descendants Villain Descendants Signature Figure Wave 01 - Mal & Evie. Personally I much prefer the Coronation dolls better than their Signature versions.


These costumes do nothing for me, so I went looking for pre-loved dolls, preferably nude and I was lucky enough to find one of each, but the condition of these dolls was 50-50 and I think they are Wave 01. Their bodies looked great, but that hair . . . oh boy, their heads looked like they were wearing rats nests!! Still I could see their potential, so I offered a very low price, which was finally accepted and here they are, just as they were listed.


Yep, Evie's hair surely is badly tangled and Mel's looks like a chunk of hair is completely missing at the back, however this hasn't been cut, according to my research, it's the way the doll comes! Their faces are all still in perfect condition and their joints are all sound, so I am happy. :) I'm not sure if I can remove the "gloves" off of Mel's hands, but I will try, then all I'll need to do is begin their restoration to beauty!

So a big thank you goes to Chirann for enabling me (not that I need much pushing to buy a doll or two. :)


P.S. The follow up of this dolly project will be on my other blog.

Friday

Dolly Thoughts

I sometimes find myself wondering how we all became so involved with dolls, and why each of us are drawn to different types of dolls. I mean, some people like to collect antique dolls made of porcelain, some like the vintage dolls from the 1950's and 60's in either plastic or vinyl, some prefer baby dolls while other prefer fashion dolls, some like to specialise and only collect Patsy, Nancy or Barbie dolls. Others will only collect BJD's, or limit their collections to anime dolls.

Where as me, I never intended to collect dolls at all. I really mean NOT EVER! I was a teddy bear collector all my life! I had spent sixteen years designing, teaching and making teddy bears the traditional way, by hand. Looking back, I cannot remember exactly how the doll collecting all began now, but if my recollections are correct, I can blame it all on Blythe and the few lessons I took to learn how to customise them.

That initial purchase of a single Blythe doll, turned into twenty seven, many of which I customised and sold on, keeping just two.

One was my beautiful Amaya, customised by Kate Hardin of Chantilly Lace in 2012. Kate also used the names Moofers and Moofala. Amaya was the first chocolate coloured Blythe I had seen and close to my last Blythe purchase. I fell in love with her as soon as I saw her. The dress and cardi she is wearing in these photos, is a replacement outfit which I received in a swap and the hat I made for her.

The other Blythe is the Petit Dejeuner Champs Elysees who sat in her box for so long I had forgotten about her until recently. As you already know, I am currently working on her and as I am really happy with her progress, I shall probably keep her. Now that in itself, presents another dilemma. I don't usually like to have even numbers of a particular doll, so maybe, just maybe, I will add another to make them a trio. :)

For some unknown reason, I seem to progress from one type of doll to another, which means my collection is very eclectic and most of the time, I find it hard to part with any of them. However, there are some exceptions. I took quite a fancy to the Disney Animator dolls for  a little while, but they just take up far too much shelf space, so those are disappearing from my collection slowly (much too slowly for my liking). It's not that I dislike them, I don't, I still think they are cute and they are a good size to knit and sew for, but I really need to make way for my latest compulsion, which at approximately seven inches, are really quite tiny in comparison.

Do you ever wonder what it is that other collectors see in the dolls they collect? Help me out here girls, what is it about your own collection that reeled you in hook line and sinker? Why do you collect the dolls that you do? I'd really love for you to tell your stories and I think everyone else who reads my blog, would enjoy reading about how you began your journey into the wide world of dolls. :)


Wednesday

I Think I Have a Problem


I know I shouldn't, I kept telling myself I wouldn't . . .


then in a blink of an eye . . . I did!
I simply couldn't resist her!

However, there is NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING FROM BELGIUM AT PRESENT so she's not coming home after all . . . do you think someone's trying to tell me something???

Well if they are I'm not listening . . . I bought this little one locally instead.


Not quite as lovely by any means, but she is kinda cute. :)
She is an IxDoll Hachichi Mui-Chan Paw Paw Monster (purple version) and with a little love and attention I'm sure she could look just a pretty as Souris, just you wait and see.


And just as I thought I finally had a handle on my impulses, this little squirrel jumped into my basket too!


Monday

The Soul of the Sunflower

Annual Royal Velvet Sunflowers are easier to grow than you would think and well worth the little extra effort, simply sow seeds about a foot apart where you want then to grow, during spring to early summer.


A unique ornamental addition to any garden, this flower begins with a large primary head first and proceeds to add heads on further branches as they develop, just like the yellow ones I showed you before. They have a long flowering period of around ten weeks and the most beautiful colouring which makes these flowers the perfect solution for adding life to your garden.

No garden as such? Why not grow one in a pot on your balcony, they are certainly worth a try and will brighten your day, every day! When I look at mine, I understand why Vincent Van Gogh painted them.

The Soul of the Sunflower by Sara Jewett

The warm sun kissed the earth
To consecrate thy birth,
And from his close embrace
Thy radiant face
Sprang into sight,
A blossoming delight.

Through the long summer days
Thy lover's burning rays
Shone hot upon thy heart.
Thy life was part
Of his desire,
Thou passion-flower of fire!

And, turning toward his love,
Lifting thy head above
The earth that nurtured thee,
Thy majesty
And stately mien
Proclaims thee sun-crowned queen.

On earth, thy gorgeous bloom
Bears record of thy tomb,
And to transcendent light
Thy soul takes flight
Till thou art one,
O sunflower, with the sun!


Friday

Cyanide's New Head of Hair

Well it's taken almost forever to re-root this doll's head . . . it's such a huuuuge head!! I don't know if other people find the finished re-root uneven at the ends, but as much as I tried, I could not get it to remain even.


The next photo was taken after the first trim. I probably took off a generous inch, maybe slightly more, and also cut a fringe which is currently in a curler. I really like how the three colours blended, it looks so pretty and will go so well with her new dress. Speaking of which, I purchased it from Jan on Etsy as I was totally disappointed with the dress I made . . . the satin was very stiff and didn't sit as well as I would have liked, so needless to say, I binned it! Then I saw a pretty cardi made by Evonne on Etsy so I bought that too! No-one can say I am not supporting local, these girls are both in Australia. :)


Of course once these items had arrived I realised I needed white boots . . . and wouldn't you know it, I had every other colour Blythe boots under the sun, but NO WHITE! So it was back to Etsy again where I found the perfect pair made by Saori who is also in Australia. All three stores are also offering FREE DELIVERY to Aussie buyers, which is a big bonus as overseas shipping costs have been crippling and have put me right off making any further purchases from overseas. (Yeah I know famous last words.)

Well that's my lot for now, I'm carving up a face today!


Monday

Fat Headed Dolls

Since posting "What a Face" I have been doing some more research and you can find all the information about the Holala dolls on this website it's their home. These are vinyl dolls with printed faces and rooted hair. Those shown below are called "Three Little Pigs".


In doing this research I have come across some other rather strange doll names like Popola dolls, these (below) are also made of vinyl, and are available on Etsy and eBay. They sell for around the $100 mark and you can purchase them blank.
I have also seen names like Ododo doll and finally found them here. These are made in China by Strawberry Planet. Priced at 239,00€ they are certainly expensive for a PVC and vinyl doll that has a printed face!


Then there is a Dodo Doll called Anako shown in Gugu Moda's Etsy store which is a BJD made by Anastasia Georgiou, whose information I found on the J-Pop Dolls website.


Then there were these other very peculiar dolls (in a funny and cute sort of way), some of which are BJD's like the ones below, and others have a Japanese body. These are also available on Etsy, and are shipped from Ppinky Dolls in Athens, Greece.


Is it any wonder a girl get's confused!!!


PLEASE NOTE: ALL PHOTOS SHOWN HEREIN, BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS / WEBSITES.




Friday

The Long and The Short of It

When I'm not playing with my dolls, I often wander off looking for interesting things to cheer me up on the internet . . .  things like this!


Being a dog owner and previous carer of my daughter's herd of pet Cavies (Guinea Pigs), as well as a general lover of all things cute, I couldn't resist spending time looking at these wonderful photos over at Warren Photographic. If you have time on your hands, or just need a pick-me-up, go take a peek at his website (simply click on his name above), it's sure to make you smile!

"Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to." 
~ Alfred A. Montapert ~


Best Wishes for a Happy Easter!

Tuesday

Keep Calm and Carry On

Although I have been keeping myself busy with my dolls, I have also been appreciating my garden and the miniature sunflowers which my daughter gave me to plant a few weeks ago. I have grown the tall ones in the past, however I didn't realise they came in this size, nor did I realise there were other colours.

My daughter gave me both yellow and red, but the red ones are yet to flower. I have always thought yellow sunflowers were bright and cheerful. Simply looking at them makes me happy, so I thought today I'd share mine with you in the hope they would do the same for you.




Friday

What a Face

I have been seeing these little faces appearing around the internet for a while, but never really thought about ordering one before now. They are made in China and are available on AliExpress for just a few dollars with free shipping. However, shipping from China takes a long time under normal circumstances and with Covid 19 adding to delays, I wasn't prepared to wait indefinitely for an order to arrive.


So when I found one on Etsy, and from a store in Australia, I ordered a little nude doll to see exactly what they were like IRL. They are 16cm tall, (so about the same height as a PukiFee) and they have a large vinyl head with a twelve jointed plastic body. If you check my Pinterest you can see how similar dolls can be customised.

Now after doing some more research, I found a few listings on Ebay which were quite similar, but these dolls were shipping from Japan and called Holala Doll by Fairy Town. They share the same size clothes and shoes with Licca, Blythe and Azone XS dolls. However, these dolls sell for a great deal more than a few dollars. There are two dolls around 20-21 cm (closer to RealFee size), the other is called Pipita, neither doll appears to be as well jointed though.

Then I found this chart . . .
Even though there seems to be a whole lot of mixed info regarding these dolls, I think the size I purchased is called a Mimiko doll, and although she was more expensive than the ones on AliExpress, she was still cheap compared to those on eBay, so I have a feeling she may well be a fake. :(

Still this wee one that's on her way to me should be fun to dress and customise. So when she arrives, and after I have finished with my Blythe doll, I'm going to have a little play in the hope she turns out okay. If she doesn't, then I won't have wasted too many dolly dollars.


Wednesday

Simple Blessings

I received a message from "UNKNOWN" today asking me about the author of this little poem, but unfortunately the author is also unknown, as is the one I share with you today.

Lord, grant me I pray ~
Courage when the best things fail me,
Calm and poise when storms assail me,
Commonsense when things perplex me,
Sense of humour when they vex me,
Hope when disappointments damp me,
Wider vision when life cramps me,
Kindness when folk need it badly,
Readiness to help them gladly,
And when effort seems in vain
Wisdom to begin again.

This poem made me think about my snail vine ~

Snail vines (Vigna caracalla) can reach up to 20 feet long in a single summer, making them an attractive and quick-growing option for fences, trellises and living privacy screens. These perennial vines produce ample foliage and have cream or purple blossoms that curl up like a snail shell. The vines flower from spring through summer.

Mine has been in my garden for many years. At the beginning of this year (mid summer in Australia) it was looking very old and parts of it's stem/trunk were rotting away. It didn't look at all healthy and my hubby thought it was time for us to pull it out and replace it with something else.

I loathed the thought, but to keep him happy, I pulled all the vine from the trellis and cut it right back to the ground. Now look how it has sprung back to life!


Nature is full of wonder and just as this vine has recovered to full bloom . . . so will we!
Keep the faith, stay strong and healthy.